Marie Antoinette

Marie-Antoinette of France (2 November 1755-16 October 1793) was an Archduchess of the Austrian Empire who became Queen of France after marrying the future King Louis XVI of France in 1770.

Biography
Maria Antonia Josephina Johanna was born in Hofburg Palace, Vienna, in the Austrian Empire to Francis I of Germany and his wife Maria Theresa. She was their fifteenth child, born on 2 November 1755. In April 1770 she was married to Dauphin Louis (future King Louis XVI of France) from the Kingdom of France, and assumed the title of Queen of France in May 1774 after Louis became the new king. Known as "L'Autrichienne" (playing a pun on the literal definition of "Austrian woman" as well as the slang word chienne, meaning "bitch") due to her thrifty spending, sympathy for the enemies of France, and promiscuity. Her lavish spending led to a poor economy in France, and in 1789 the French Revolution broke out. Marie Antoinette, King Louis XVI, and their son Prince Louis-Charles were imprisoned in the Tuileries Palace after the mob stormed Versailles, and they were thrown in prison in 1792 after the Tuileries was stormed by a mob, angry at the family's attempt to flee France in the Escape to Varennes.

Marie Antoinette's husband was guillotined in January 1793 by the French Republic for treason in a decision that was made 361-360 (Louis-Michel le Peletier was the deciding "for" vote). Marie Antoinette was seen as innocent by the royalists, and friends of Honore Gabriel Riqueti de Mirabeau arranged for her to escape from her prison. Unfortunately for her, the Gendarme Jean Gilbert discovered this attempt and foiled it by alerting the guards. Marie remained in prison until October, when she was guillotined for her lavish lifestyle and treason.